A circuit configuration providing a diagnostic signal for a power switching device which switches a load has a test circuit, a filter device, a validation device, and a coding device. The test circuit tests the power switching device and generates error symptoms for characterizing error types of different priorities. The filter device, depending on an activation signal activating the power switching device, provides a validity signal for the generated error symptoms. The validity signal specifies the validity of the corresponding error symptom in each case. The validation device validates a generated error symptom depending on the associated validity signal in each case and validates the validated activation signal and from this generates a group of is states and the associated complementary states. The coding device codes the states and complementary states depending on the priorities of the error types assigned to the states and complementary states. The diagnostic signal is formed from the coded states and complementary states.